1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to home garden shredding equipment and more particularly to an apparatus for utilization with a rotary type lawn mower for the shredding and mulching of organic matter such as leaves, grass and the like.
2. History of the Prior Art
A study of the prior art discloses many devices to be used in garden settings for the shredding and mulching of leaves and other organic matter. Many of such devices adapt mowing devices for a variety of other uses such as shredding and mulching.
Patents reviewed have disclosed several rotary lawn mower devices which have means for receiving from a hopper the organic matter to be shredded. U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,952 by Brokaw discloses a typical structure of such a unit having a hopper disposed over the housing of a rotary lawn mower with means for entering the material to be shredded into the top of the hopper and an optional bottom cover for assistance in containing the organic matter within the mower housing as the matter is being shredded. Other units disclosing a similar hopper feeding organic matter into the housing of a rotary lawn mower are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,861,611 by Considder and 3,100,371 by Redmon. Other devices specifically designed for shredding also use hoppers for the entry of organic matter therein. Examples of such devices are illustrated by the disclosures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,861,603 by Lautzenheiser; 3,968,938 by Ruhl; 4,076,460 by Roof; and 3,539,930 by Lautzenheiser. Other patents also disclosing shredders are:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,782 by McWilliams PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,857 by Shaw PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,184 by Grimm PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,220 by Tupper PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,278 by Johnson PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,498 by Szepaniak PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,913 by Cushman PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,914 by Cushman PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,917 by Leader PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,090 by Lautzenheiser PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,462 by Hamlin PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,479 by Martinson PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,923 by DeLay PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,847,224 by Stout PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,667 by Hall PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,015 by Russell PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,846 by Ward PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,571 by Dankel et al
Another such device is reviewed in the Popular Science Magazine article "Make A Mulcher For Your Mower", October 1978, on page 178.